According to statistics, endocrine pathologies are “gaining momentum”, and in recent years, newly diagnosed diseases have been recorded in 52% of women and 17% of men. The main purpose of the thyroid gland is to maintain normal processes in the cells of the body. The hormones she produces are involved in all processes.
As can be seen from the statistics, thyroid diseases are more common in women. The symptoms of the disease are as numerous as the conditions that lead to its development. Most diseases of the endocrine system share a common cause.
Causes of disease
- Lack or excess (to a lesser extent) of iodine in the body.
- Unfavorable environmental factors - exposure to toxins and radiation.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Possible harmful effects of antibodies on the thyroid gland.
- Autoimmune processes (an immune factor that provokes tissue damage).
- Disturbances (dysfunction) of the endocrine and nervoussystem.
- Disorders caused by medication or surgery.
Quite often, with thyroid disease in women, the symptoms at the first stage of the disease go unnoticed due to the similarity with other, less dangerous ailments. And the fact that the body has undergone a process of hormonal imbalance, a person will know already by obvious (visible) signs, when the disease began to progress.
Symptoms of disease
The main, initial symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath.
- Hoarseness, sore throat and cough.
- Frequent colds and fluctuating (jumps) temperature.
- Discomfort when wearing collared clothing.
- Irritability and nervousness.
- Sweating at any temperature.
- Irregular heartbeat (bradycardia or rapid pulse).
- Respiratory problems.
- Difficulty swallowing, sensation of a lump in the throat.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Weight jumps (typical for women).
Dysfunction
Ignoring the initial symptoms is fraught with consequences, as thyroid dysfunction in women can develop during this time. This is due to the dysregulation of physical processes in the cells of the body, when hormones do not cope with their task (regulation).
As a result of an endocrine disorder in the gland, it produces either too many hormones or not enough. The reason may bepathology of the pituitary gland - an endocrine gland located in the brain. With thyroid disease in women, the symptoms of its dysfunction are very characteristic:
- bulging eyes;
- anxiety and weight loss;
- sweating and heat intolerance.
All these symptoms are caused by excessive endocrine activity with the production of excessive amounts of hormones, which is characteristic of the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is characterized by insufficient endocrine activity, resulting in insufficient hormone production. This results in:
- to fatigue;
- weight gain;
- brittle nails and hair loss;
- depression and cold intolerance;
- lower sex drive.
Endocrine dysfunction mainly affects middle-aged women.
Hypoplasia
Thyroid diseases in women, the symptoms of which are described above, as well as a lack of iodine in the body, can cause thyroid hypoplasia in the fetus.
If the child has:
- physiological jaundice after birth;
- if the child is weak, there is lethargy and poor appetite;
- characterized by constipation and a hoarse voice;
- developmental delay, speech defects and obvious "cretinism".
This indicates the consequences of a congenital disease - hypoplasia. Underdeveloped gland tissues do not cope with their vital function. hypoplasiathyroid gland (in women and men) is characterized by the presence of hyperthyroidism, when the function of the gland is significantly reduced.
